How to Make Black Food Coloring

When you have food coloring in standard colors but want it in inky black, don't hesitate to mix your own. While the black may not be a true midnight black, it will be dark enough to meet most of your decorative needs. In fact, once you try it, you might swear off combing through specialty bake shops to find premade black food coloring. Add 10 drops of red food coloring to a clean, non-porous bowl. Add 10 drops of blue food coloring to the bowl. Add 10 drops of yellow food coloring. Stir the three colors together to create black food coloring. Test your color by mixing some of the black coloring into a small amount of the food you wish to tint. Add an additional drop of each color -- one at a time -- to the original bowl of food coloring to adjust as needed. If you don't need to make adjustments to the color but need to make more black food coloring, make sure to add all three colors in equal measure. If you do not use all of the food coloring, store what's left in a small, non-porous container with a tight-fitting lid.

Tips

To make black frosting using chocolate frosting, simply mix in blue food coloring. Add one drop at a time and stir, then repeat until you reach a rich black color.